Mangaluru, June 03: Real estate builds cities. But cities exist within ecosystems, and for too long, the industry has taken more than it has returned. The Karnataka Zero Waste Initiative is Sattva Group’s attempt to change that equation. On 23 May, Shivam Agarwal, Vice President, Strategy, Sattva Group, and Aditya Siroya, Co-Founder and Advisor, rePurpose Global, led a full-day field visit across Someshwara Beach, Pachanady and Kadeshwalya, and the Bantwal Material Recovery Facility, walking the coastline that this programme has committed to restore.
Launched on Earth Day 2026 in partnership with Knowledge Realty Trust, the initiative is a three-year commitment to recover 3.5–4.5 million kilograms of waste. It will bring 80,000 households into formal waste management systems, some of them for the very first time, reduce plastic leakage across 50 coastal villages, and support 200 waste workers; predominantly women with dignified livelihoods and skills for the future.
The day began at Someshwara Beach. Plastic accounts for a disproportionate share of what washes up on Karnataka’s shores, a problem that is visible, chronic, and solvable. Shivam and Aditya joined approximately 40 community volunteers in a direct clean-up effort, recovering over 250 kilograms of waste in a single drive.
Shivam Agarwal, Vice President – Strategy, Sattva Group, said “You can talk about sustainability in boardrooms and earnings calls. But standing on a beach, collecting plastic with forty people who live here that’s where it becomes real. This is where the work happens, and this is where we intend to show up.”
The visit then moved through Kadeshwalya village, where community representatives walked the team through household waste collection systems and segregation practices already in place. The team also assessed infrastructure needs along the Netravathi river, a critical intervention point before plastic reaches the sea. The day concluded at the Bantwal MRF, where the team spent time with waste workers who are the backbone of the entire system.
Jiji Thomas, Head – ESG & Sustainability, Knowledge Realty Trust, said “At Knowledge Realty Trust, we are committed to creating value that extends beyond our buildings and into the communities around us. The outcomes achieved through the first phase of the Repurpose Initiative demonstrate how collaborative action can drive meaningful environmental and social impact. We are encouraged by the progress made and remain committed to supporting initiatives that create cleaner, more sustainable communities for the future.”
The numbers from the initiative’s first months tell a clear story: over 1.5 lakh kilograms of dry waste recovered, more than 50,000 kilograms of low-value plastic ethically processed, 20 waste workers now supported, and active engagement with 30+ village gram panchayats with critical backing from the Dakshina Kannada Zila Panchayat and Mangala Resource Management.
Aditya Siroya, Co-Founder and Advisor, rePurpose Global, added “What we saw today reinforced both the scale of the challenge and the importance of building solutions designed to last. It’s encouraging to see businesses like Sattva stepping forward with real ambition — not just commitments on paper, but investment in systems that can scale. Through this partnership, we’re not only reducing plastic leakage locally; we’re building a model for environmental leadership that can extend far beyond Karnataka.”
By the end of 2026, the Karnataka Zero Waste Initiative aims to recover over 10 lakh kilograms of dry waste including 4 lakh kilograms of plastic, improve livelihoods for 60 waste workers, and run awareness and capacity-building programmes across at least 15 villages in Dakshina Kannada.
Karnataka has 320 kilometres of coastline. This is where the work begins.